Mind the gap: Teachers’ conceptions of student-staff partnership and its potential to enhance educational quality

Abstract

Introduction: Student-staff partnerships as a concept to improve medical education have received a growing amount of attention. Such partnerships are collaborations in which students and teachers seek to improve education by each adding their unique contribution to decision-making and implementation processes. Although previous research has demonstrated that students are favourable to this concept, teachers remain hesitant. The present study investigated teachers’ conceptions of student-staff partnerships and of the prerequisites that are necessary to render such partnerships successful and enhance educational quality.

Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 course coordinators who lead course design teams and also teach in 4 bachelor health programmes, using Bovill and Bulley’s levels of student participation as sensitising concepts during data analysis.

Results: The results pointed to three different conceptions of student-staff partnerships existing among teachers: Teachers teach and students study; teachers teach and value students’ feedback; and teachers and students co-create. The prerequisites for effective co-creation teachers identified were: Teachers must be open to involve students and create dialogues; students must be motivated and have good communication skills; the organisation must be supportive; and teachers should have the final say.

Conclusion: We conclude that teachers’ conceptions are consistent with Bovill and Bulley’s levels of student participation. Under certain conditions, teachers are willing to co-create and reach the highest levels of student participation.     

Criteria for diagnosis and attribution of an occupational musculoskeletal disease

Background:Criteria for diagnosis and compensation of occupational musculoskeletal diseases varies widely between countries as demonstrated by the large differences between countries with comparable economics and social systems (for example, within the European Union). Several countries have a list of occupational diseases and sometimes these lists include diagnostic and attribution criteria, but these criteria are usually not very specific, and they may also be very different.Objectives:The aim of this paper is to explicitly define what are the information needed for an evidence-based diagnosis and attribution of an occupational musculoskeletal disease.Methods:Based on the general framework of evidence-based medicine, a review is presented of the information required to define: - when a musculoskeletal disease is present, according to the best available techniques; - how to define a relevant exposure to biomechanical risk factors, according to the best available techniques.Results:Criteria are presented to combine information regarding the diagnosis of a musculoskeletal disease and exposure to biomechanical risk factors for an evidence-based attribution of the disease to the occupational exposure. The criteria use a probabilistic model that combine epidemiologic and medical findings, workplace exposure assessment, and non-occupational factors evaluation.Discussion:The use of the proposed criteria may improve the process of diagnosis and attribution of an occupational musculoskeletal disease. In addition, it makes possible to associate a probability rank to the attribution and, ultimately, it may improve the overall quality of the decisional process of the occupational physician.Key words: Criteria, occupational disease, musculoskeletal system     

Relations between Everyday Executive Functioning and Language in Youth with Down Syndrome and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACT

Language and executive functioning are major impairments in many neurodevelopmental disorders, but little is known about the relations between these constructs, particularly using parent-report. Thus, the current research sought to examine relations between executive function and language in two groups – Down syndrome (DS; n=41; M_age = 11.2) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n=91; M_age = 7.7). Results were as follows: in DS, executive function predicted pragmatic, but not structural language after covarying for age, sex, and social functioning; in ASD, executive function predicted both. Findings highlight the interrelatedness of language and executive functioning and may have implications for intervention development.     

Lung function and bronchial hyper-reactivity from 11 to 18 years in children with bronchiolitis in infancy

Background

Various trajectories for lung function and bronchial hyper-reactivity (BHR) from early childhood to adulthood are described, including puberty as a period with excessive lung growth. Bronchiolitis in infancy may be associated with increased risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but the development of respiratory patterns during puberty is poorly characterized for these children. We aimed to study the development and trajectories of lung function and BHR from 11 to 18 years of age in children hospitalized for bronchiolitis in infancy.

Methods

Infants hospitalized for bronchiolitis at the University Hospitals in Stavanger and Bergen, Norway, during 1997-1998, and an age-matched control group, were included in a longitudinal follow-up study and examined at 11 and 18 years of age with spirometry and methacholine provocation test (MPT). The MPT data were managed as dose-response slope (DRS) in the statistical analyses. Changes in lung function and DRS from 11 to 18 years of age were analyzed by generalized estimating equations, including interaction terms.

Results

z-scores for forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV₁), FEV₁/FVC ratio, and DRS were not different from 11 to 18 years of age in both the post-bronchiolitis and the control group. The trajectories from 11 to 18 years did not differ between the two groups. BHR at age 11 was independently associated with asthma at age 18.

Conclusion

Children hospitalized for bronchiolitis had stable predicted lung function and BHR from 11 to 18 years of age. The lung function trajectories were not different from controls.

     

Age-related differences in motives for contacting out-of-hours primary care: a cross-sectional questionnaire study in Denmark

Abstract

Objective

Demands for out-of-hours primary care (OOH-PC) services are increasing. Many citizens call because of non-urgent health problems. Nevertheless, the patients’ motives for requesting medical help outside office hours remains an understudied area. This study aimed to examine motives for calling OOH-PC services in various age groups.     

Shared decision-making for the management of small renal masses: Development and acceptability testing of a novel patient decision aid

IntroductionShared decision-making incorporates patients’ values and preferences to achieve high-quality decisions. The objective of this study was to develop an acceptable patient decision aid to facilitate shared decision-making for the management of small renal masses (SRMs).MethodsThe International Patient Decision Aids Standards were used to guide an evidence-based development process. Management options included active surveillance, thermal ablation, partial nephrectomy, and radical nephrectomy. A literature review was performed to provide incidence rates for outcomes of each option. Once a prototype was complete, alpha-testing was performed using a 10-question survey to assess acceptability with patients, patient advocates, urologists, and methodological experts. The primary outcome was acceptability of the decision aid.ResultsA novel patient decision aid was created to facilitate shared decision-making for the management of SRMs. Acceptability testing was performed with 20 patients, 10 urologists, two patient advocates, and one methodological expert. Responders indicated the decision aid was appropriate in length (82%, 27/33), well-balanced (82%, 27/33), and had language that was easy to follow (94%, 31/33). All patient responders felt the decision aid would have been helpful during their consultation and would recommend the decision aid for future patients (100%, 20/20). Most urologists reported they intend to use the decision aid (90%, 9/10).ConclusionsA novel patient decision aid was created to facilitate shared decision-making for management of SRMs. This clinical tool was acceptable with patients, patient advocates, and urologists and is freely available at: https://decisionaid.ohri.ca/decaids.html.     

Investigation of strategies to improve concussion reporting in American football

ABSTRACT

While research on sport-related concussion has increased dramatically over the past decade, research investigating concussion reporting is in its early stages. The purpose of this project was to assess concussion reporting and work with stakeholders to develop and assess strategies to improve reporting. We used a multi-site, repeated measures design with three NCAA Division I football programs, including 223 athlete participants. A modified community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach was used to develop intervention strategies (Fall 2017 season) with stakeholders designed to increase concussion reporting intentions. Preseason and postseason surveys were administered to determine effectiveness. Main outcome measures included concussion knowledge, intervention effectiveness, and reporting intention measures. For all three programs, concussion knowledge was unrelated to reporting intentions. Two of the three programs implemented the intervention strategies and for these programs there was evidence that the interventions were effective. Specifically, athletes from these two programs perceived more support from coaches about reporting (P< 0.05; t= 2.83), received education more frequently (P< 0.05; t= 2.67), and reported being more likely to report concussion symptoms (P< 0.05; t= 2.14). Our study demonstrates that working with stakeholders to develop site-specific strategies to improve concussion reporting is an effective approach to help improve reporting behaviours.     

Optimizing resilience and wellbeing for healthcare professions trainees and healthcare professionals during public health crises – Practical tips for an ‘integrative resilience’ approach

Abstract

Public health crises, including pandemics, are associated with significant health risk and concomitant stress, fear, decreased sense of control, and uncertainty. Deleterious impact on both physical and mental health can result, including for healthcare professionals and health professions trainees. Changes in governmental policies and hospital protocols for healthcare professionals as well as disruption of educational formats and requirements for trainees can ensue. Difficult anxiety-provoking realities of public health crises including pandemics which involve caring for many seriously ill patients, moral distress including difficult care decisions, personal health risk, and/or potential risk to one’s family can take a dire toll on the mental health of healthcare professionals at all stages of the professional lifecycle. Educational disruptions can create significant anxiety for trainees about completing requirements and achieving competencies. Within this, coping skills may be challenged and strengths may be elucidated as well. Such crises create an imperative for medical educators to support trainees’ wellbeing through adaptive flexibility for curriculum innovation and culturally sensitive resilience and wellbeing interventions. Strategies (‘tips’) to optimize resilience and wellbeing with an integrative resilience approach of individual, learning environment, and organization/systems factors are presented.